


We Are Kings

by Cheshyr



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Minor Injuries, Seijou third year friendship, who else was killed by the last episode?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-26
Updated: 2016-03-26
Packaged: 2018-05-29 03:23:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,632
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6356938
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cheshyr/pseuds/Cheshyr
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tears finally escaped, and his body trembled, “It hurts.”</p><p>His three friends started at the words, released between gritted teeth. Hanamaki stepped forward, “Oikawa…?”</p><p>“My knee!” </p><p>(The aftermath, both emotional and physical, of the Aobajosai/Karasuno match. And also friendship is magic.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	We Are Kings

**Author's Note:**

> Some jerk on tumblr pointed out that during that epic set to Iwaizumi when Oikawa fell he laNDED ON HIS BAD KNEE. 
> 
> (here --> http://hailsousuke.tumblr.com/post/141473778208)
> 
> Anyway then this happened.

Iwaizumi didn’t want to shake their hand. Oikawa’s hand was warm and firm on his back as he guided him to stand in front of Karasuno, the team that took away their chance at Nationals. Aoba Jousai stood together, all trying hard to keep their composure. Some were crying, some choked back their tears, clenching their fists and gritting their teeth. Karasuno lined up before them, their faces holding all the joy and hope and pride that had just been ripped from Seijou. Iwaizumi knew it was childish, and petty, but he didn’t want to shake their hands. He just wanted to turn away and cross his arms petulantly. But he didn’t. 

The teams thanked each other for a good game, parting as soon as they could without being rude. Seijou was quiet as they trudged back to their locker room. The silence stretched on, even as they began to gather their things.

“Hey,” Oikawa’s voice is gentle, echoing through the locker room, “losing sucks. Like, really bad. Aaaaah everything is awful!” One hand rested on his forehead as the other clutched his chest. He leaned back dramatically, already knowing that Iwaizumi was behind him ready to ‘catch’ him. “Woe is me! Hold me, Iwa-chan!”

“No.” Smirking, Iwaizumi stepped away, letting the taller boy flail at the sudden lack of support.

“Mean, Iwa-chan! So cruel to your captain!”

Watery giggles rang through the room and they could all feel the tension break with their captain’s antics. Oikawa turned to Iwaizumi, winking slyly in thanks before turning back to his team.

“Yeah, losing sucks. But man! Do you remember what we were like at the start of the year? You’ve all grown so much, and improved immensely.” The room was silent, every player hanging on to the setter’s every word, just as they always did whenever the captain spoke to them so sincerely. Oikawa smiled as he looked at them, “It’s okay to be disappointed because we lost, but don’t forget to also be proud of how far you’ve all come!” Anyone who wasn’t tearing up before, was when their captain smiled widely and bowed to them, “You all played wonderfully! I’m very proud of all of you!”

“Thank you, captain!” They bowed to him in return. Kindaichi wiped his arm across his eyes, “Aaaah, our captain is so cool!”

“I think you mean ‘cheesy’” Hanamaki patted the younger boy on the back, ignoring the tears running down his own cheeks. 

“So embarrassing, captain,” Mattsun shook his head solemnly.

“Excuse you, I am an inspiration!” Oikawa cried indignantly, crossing his arms with a huff as the rest of the team laughed. “Well, we have some time before the bus leaves. Enjoy some down time. You deserve it. Just make sure you’re back at the bus in an hour, alright?” The team chimed out their confirmation, gathering their things and filing out of the locker room in considerably higher spirits than they had entered. 

As they slowly trickled out, the four third-years lingered. Oikawa sighed and sat down heavily on the bench, stretching out his arms and legs. Iwaizumi, Mattsukawa, and Hanamaki began to gather their things, toweling off lazily. By the time they were almost ready to go, Oikawa still hadn’t moved.

Iwaizumi eyed the setter from the corner of his eye. He was sitting casually, leaning back on his arms and humming some unrecognizable tune. The other two seemed to notice too, and exchanged looks of suspicion.

“Oi,” Iwaizumi called out, trying to sound nonchalant, “get your stuff together, we should grab some food before we have to leave.”

“Hm?” Oikawa looked startled at the offer, before smiling and raising his hands in a placating gesture, “No thanks, Iwa-chan! I actually think I just want to sit and rest here a bit.”

“Here?” That raised red flags in Iwaizumi’s mind. He crossed his arms, “Why don’t we go outside on the lawn? You could probably use the fresh air.”

“It’s quieter in here, and I wont have to deal with any crowds.”

“Alright,” something was definitely wrong, “fine. Nothing wrong with staying in here. We can play cards or something.”

In any other group, Oikawa may have been able to hide the panicked look in his eyes. But these three knew him too well. His fingers clenched the edge of the bench, even as he smiled widely, “O-oh, you guys don’t have to stay, you can go ahead. I’m just going to unwind a bit, that’s all.”

“Riiight,” Makki drawled, “so we officially don’t believe you at all.”

“What’s up?” asked Mattsun, “It’s okay if you’re upset. You literally just had the entire team crying in front of you.”

Oikawa pouted, “Guys, really, I’m fine.”

"No you're not."

"Yes I am! I'm just tired is all."

“Maybe,” Iwaizumi stepped forward, “we’d have an easier time believing you if you weren’t getting paler by the second,” his eyes narrowed, “or if you weren’t trembling, and clutching the bench so hard your knuckles are white.” 

Blinking in surprise, Oikawa opened his mouth to protest, only to shut it with a click a moment later. The room felt tense, three third years standing stubbornly before their seated captain as he gritted teeth. His trembling increased.

There was a beat of silence. Two. Three.

Finally, Oikawa couldn’t hold back anymore. He clapped a hand over his mouth, stifling a drawn out wail as he folded over himself. Tears finally escaped, and his body trembled, _“It hurts.”_

His three friends started at the words, released between gritted teeth. Hanamaki stepped forward, “Oikawa…?”

 _“My knee!”_ His hand muffled what would have been a pained yell, his breath hitching as he began to sob. No matter how hard he tried, the setter could no longer hold the pain in, crying harder as his friends stared in alarm, “When I fell, on the sidelines, I landed on my bad knee. It wasn’t so bad with the adrenaline but it just got worse and worse. It’s not broken or dislocated, I know what that feels like, but I… I don’t….” Oikawa’s fingers were digging into the skin around his mouth, his breathing ragged as he hiccupped and sobbed, “I don’t think I can walk right now. I don’t know if I can _stand_. Please, please don’t make me limp in front of Kageyama... not now, please, I can’t limp away in front of him, please don't make me, I can’t, I can't…”

It is with one last sob that the three boys in front of him are finally shaken from their stillness. All at once there was a flurry of activity as the three teenagers scrambled into action.

Iwaizumi practically threw himself onto the floor in front of Oikawa, his hands hovering nervously above his friend’s white clad knee, “Y-you dumbass! Why didn’t you tell us immediately! Are-are you sure nothing’s broken? I’m gonna take the supporter off, tell me if it hurts too bad…”

“Everything’s okay!” Hanamaki slid onto the bench beside Oikawa, pulling his hand away from his mouth and lacing their fingers together. With his other hand, he pulled the still sobbing Oikawa into his chest, stroking his hair as he spoke as soothingly as he could manage through his own worry, “You’re fine, everything’s fine, just try to breath, okay?”

Mattsun tore through the locker room until he finally located the team’s first-aid kit, tripping over himself in his rush to return to Iwaizumi’s side, “Here! Here! I know there’s an ice pack in there. Oh! I’ll grab some water so you can take some pain meds!”

“It’s a little swollen, and there’s definitely going to be a bruise, but he’s right nothing’s out of place.” 

“I’ve got a thicker brace in my bag-“

“-put the ice on first-“

“-deep breaths, try to match my breathing okay?”

“-I’ve got some water so you can take some ibuprofen-“

“-is the cold pack helping? Do you want me to use the heating pad instead?”

“-there, you’re doing great, let us know how the pain is, okay?”

“-here, drink slowly…”

Finally, the frantic energy began to wane. Oikawa’s breathing began to even out, with only occasional hitches and hiccups. Hanamaki remained at his right, while Mattsun pressed in on his left, one hand rubbing his back while the other held a water bottle ready. Iwaizumi crouched before them, surrounded by the scattered contents of the first-aid kit, dumped hastily in his rush to help his best friend. His hand lightly gripped the back of Oikawa’s leg as the other gently pressed an ice pack to the tender flesh of his knee.

Oikawa shivered, and his voice was barely a whisper, “I’m sorry.”

“What the fuck for?” Mattsun was the first to speak, though all three were startled by the statement.

“I…” It took the captain a moment to gather his thoughts, inhaling sharply before rushing the words out on an exhale, “I feel like maybe... you could have won if your captain wasn’t falling apart at the seams.”

“Of course not!” “Don’t say that!” _“Bullshit.”_

All three boys around Oikawa spoke at the same time, but it was Iwaizumi’s voice that cut through them all. For the first time since he had admitted to his pain, Oikawa looked up, and met the eyes of his best friend. Iwaizumi’s face was firm, brows furrowed and teeth grinding, but his hands never wavered, and his eyes shone gently. He left no room for argument.

“ _We_ lost. Not because of any one person, or single factor, but because that’s how it is in sports, sometimes you lose. And it sucks, but you can’t keep going back to ‘what-ifs’ and shoulder the blame yourself when there is no blame in the first place. Just… Don’t do that to yourself.” The spiker shifted awkwardly on the floor. He felt stiff, and a little awkward, as he usually did when things got so overtly emotional, but he couldn’t bring himself to really care, “And you’re not falling apart. Ups and downs are part of life. Don’t feel guilty for being hurt.”

“Yeah, you dork,” Matsukawa gently ruffled Oikawa’s hair, “don’t make embarrassing speeches if you’re not going to take your own advice.”

Oikawa giggled wetly as Hanamakki wrapped his arms around his waist, “Aw, is it group hug time? I think it’s group hug time.”

“Absolutely it is.” Mattsun embraced him on the other side, Oikawa’s laughter growing stronger, “Iwaizumi, we’re waiting on you.”

“Yeah, get in here, tough guy.” Hanamakki chimed in.

“Idiots,” Iwaizumi scowled through a light blush, “don’t jostle his knee.”

“It’s fine, Iwa-chan,” Oikawa’s voice was still scratchy from crying, but stronger than before, and he smiled warmly, “I’m feeling much better. Although I’d feel even betterrr…” He stretched the word out with a smirk, holding his arms out and waving them impatiently.

Not even a heavy sigh could hide the tender smile on Iwaizumi’s face, “Alright, alright,” he lifted himself on his knees, wrapping his arms around Oikawa’s waist above Makki and Mattsun’s, “nerd.” His friends were nice enough not to point out the tears in the corner of his eyes, laughing lightly as they squeezed each other tightly.

“Ah, ah, okay, your love is crushing me!” Oikawa wiggled in their arms, blushing and laughing.

“What’s wrong, do you need some space?” Makki held him tighter.

Mattsun smiled widely and pressed closer, “Come on, babe, don’t pull away from us!”

“We just want to be closer to you,” Iwaizumi snickered, burying his face in Oikawa’s chest and squeezing him harder.

“Waaah, and you guys call me the embarrassing one!” Oikawa’s face was bright red as he flailed. His friends laughed, wiping the last of their tears away and they finally released the injured setter. 

Chuckling, Iwaizumi looked down, “For real, though, how is your knee?”

“Hm, better, for sure. Still sore, but I think it’ll be fine in a day or two.”

“Assuming you actually take it easy and rest.” Oikawa floundered as he was fixed with three matching glares, “I will! I will! Promise!” Iwaizumi shook his head fondly, “Yeah, you better.” Mattsun handed him a thick black knee supporter. It was still flexible, but sturdier than the white one Oikawa usually wore. It only took a moment to gently slip the brace on.

“Okay, now that we’ve all reaffirmed our love for each other,” Makki sat up straight and put his hands on his hips, donning an air of importance, “there’s still the matter of getting ourselves to the bus…” The words were barely out of his mouth when Oikawa’s breath hitched, his entire body stiffening, eyes watering, and the third years were reminded how tenuous their friend’s spirit was right now. “Don’t worry!” Makki grabbed Oikawa’s hands, halting the other boy’s mounting panic, “I’ve got an idea…”

~

“Gwaaaah I feel so fired up! I could play a dozen more games today!”

“Dumbass, you should be resting! You need your energy for the coming matches!”

“I have enough energy to go forever, unlike you! This is why I always get to the gym first!”

“Why you-“

“Hey you two, stop fighting, the coach wants-“

“HEEEYAAAA!!” 

The Karasuno boys, along with everyone else in the auditorium, jumped as the doors to one of the locker rooms burst open loudly. Hanamaki ran out, carrying a smirking Mattsukawa on his back. “You wont beat me this time, Iwaizumi!!”

“In your dreams!” Iwaizumi ran out behind them, Oikawa laughing heartily from his place on his friend’s back, “You think a little weight is gonna slow me down?”

“No fair! Mattsun’s way heavier than Oikawa!”

“Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?”

The boys ran through the gym, blatantly ignoring the referees and coaches that called out for them to stop causing a ruckus, laughing as they weaved between groups of players on the sidelines. Oikawa and Mattsun hollered excitedly as they gripped their steads. As they approached the doors, Iwaizumi took the lead, calling out loudly, “Y’ALL GOT NOTHING ON SEIJOU!”

“YOU HAVEN’T SEEN THE LAST OF US!” Oikawa shouted, throwing one hand out in a peace sign as they charged through the door, followed by Mattsun’s declaration, “WE ARE KINGS!” And then, just as the doors closed behind them, Makki’s cry rang out, “SO SUCK IT, PEASANTS!”

A hush fell over the gym, before slowly dissipating, lead by the stern frowns of various adults, shaking their heads about rowdy kids disrupting the games. Most of the players were either quietly confused, or simply laughed at the strange incident.

Suga shook his head fondly, “That team really is something.”

Meanwhile, Hinata and Kageyama, as well as the rest of their team, were staring at the door in confusion, “What was that all about?”

“I didn’t expect them to be so upbeat after losing.”

“That’s a sign of their strength.” The first and second years looked at the vice-captain questioningly, “Any team can stay positive when they win. It’s when you’re faced with loss that your true strength shows.” Suga finished sagely.

“Aaaah!” Noya and Tanaka both looked to the doors the Seijou third years had left through, dramatic tears streaming down their faces, “So cool! What a strong team!”

Daichi chuckled, “They sure are. And we are too. Now let’s go, I think coach is getting impatient…”

Outside, Makki and Iwaizumi walked towards their school bus, still breathing heavily from their race, while Mattsun refused to end his piggyback ride, clinging tightly to his friend as the shorter boy tried to shake him off. Oikawa and Iwaizumi laughed heartily at their friends’ antics, the captain cheering on Mattsun while the ace shouted for Makki. 

And while the loss still weighed heavy on their hearts, as they laughed and smiled together, none of them had any doubt that in the end, they would be okay.

**Author's Note:**

> And then they all got married (*cough*to each other*cough*) and won every match ever and lived happily ever after. :D
> 
> I have like, four WIPS for this fandom right now, so keep an eye out for me! Thoughts and critiques are always appreciated. :)


End file.
